By Marion Filler
Tired of politics, 21st-century-style?
Refocus and refresh with author and historian Tom Mitchell, in Morris Plains on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, at 10 am.
The talk is Lyndon in Command 1949-1960. The topic is Lyndon Johnson.
Mitchell will draw upon his first-hand acquaintance with LBJ and extensive knowledge of his ascendance to power. The lecture may be viewed as a primer on how to conduct politics effectively, using LBJ as an example.
“American elected politics is a blood sport,” says the Morristown resident, who experienced it up close and personal in his hometown of Austin, Texas.
Mitchell’s father knew relatives and friends of the Johnsons, and his mother was a long-time county committeewoman. Serving as page to LBJ in the U.S. Senate from 1959-1960, Mitchell was a “fly on the wall.”
When the Senate was out of session in 1960, he worked directly for the Kennedy-Johnson campaign and manned the front desk at the 1960 Democratic Convention in Los Angeles.
Mitchell’s insight extends to life lessons followed by LBJ over the years. Some were anecdotal, some were articulated by LBJ himself, and some were direct observations.
Among them:
- Always volunteer.
- Always take responsibility, even if no one gave it to you.
- Study the rules like the Bible, so you never need to “look it up.”
- Don’t hesitate to fight dirty because your opponents won’t.
- Keep your promises.
- Persevere.
- In adversity, practice patience.
“I grew up with real retail politics,” says Mitchell. He defines that as “people reaching out to other people, in person.”
“LBJ became an expert at it. He knew, with all 254 counties in Texas, where every precinct was, and where he had representatives in every precinct each time he ran for office.”
Mitchell sees a direct connection between the demise of “retail politics” and failed elections. He cites Hillary Clinton’s experience in the last Presidential election as a prime example.
“Clinton won California by 4.3 million votes. She lost by a combined 77,000 votes in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, where Trump increased the Republican vote by 10 percentage points in rural counties. That was enough to win all three states.”
“Those voters were not your average cable TV, social media voters. To reach them, you had to get somebody on your side to go out there and talk to them.”
One side did and the other did not.
Mitchell has just completed a book, part of which is covered by his upcoming talk.
“We have reached an extreme of a new paradigm for successful national elections that I think is misguided,” says Mitchell.
The book offers his non-partisan take on things we can and should do today, as epitomized by LBJ, who he describes as “the best majority leader in history. He was tireless, just ruthless enough, and he was an astute and effective politician.”
Mitchell will speak at the Morris Plains Community Center at 51 Jim Fear Drive. Tickets are $31. Seating is limited and reservations are suggested, though not mandatory. Reserve by calling Karen Ruppel, Great Horizons program coordinator at (973)292-2063, x 8315.
